Printer Operators Cannot Create DLC Ports

ID: Q160142

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51, 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.51, 4.0

SYMPTOMS

While logged in as a Print Operator, a user can create a printer and seems to create a DLC port for that printer. The following two scenarios may happen, depending on the version of Windows NT that is being used and whether the printer driver is already loaded on the system:

Windows NT 3.51

If the printer driver was on the system, the printer installs and seems to work until the next time the system is shut down and restarted. After restarting, the printer status will show as unknown. The printer properties will be unavailable and the printer Security Permissions and Owner options will give the following error:

STOP
Cannot retrieve the security descriptor for this printer.

If the printer driver was not already loaded for another printer, the following error will appear while loading the driver:

Noncritical Error
An error has occurred.

Setup was unable to set the security information for C:\WINNT35\SYSTEM32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\RASDDU (off the screen)
You may continue (ignoring the error), retry the operation, or exit Setup.
If you choose to ignore the error, Setup may not be able to completely and/or correctly install the software. If you exit, you will have to repeat the Setup process from the beginning.

Ignore Retry Exit Setup

If the system is restarted, the security descriptor error will also happen as described above.

Windows NT 4.0

The printer and port will seem to install and work fine but, as above, when the system is shut down and restarted, the port disappears. The printer will state that it "Failed to open, retrying," and the following event will be logged:

Event 1040
Source hpmon
Type Warning

Description Updating the registry failed (0x5). Make sure HP Monitor can access the registry.

CAUSE

Printer Operators can create printers but do not have sufficient access to the registry to create new printer ports.

Print Operators are also unable to create an LPR port. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q140084
TITLE : Permissions Error Creating an LPR Printer

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem:

Have the Administrator create the port before the Printer Operator creates a printer.

-or-

Use the following steps to modify the default registry permissions to give Print Operators the ability to create a DLC port.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system- wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

Log on to the computer as an Administrator and run Regedt32.exe.

Go to the following registry location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print

Select the Monitors key under the Print key.

On the Security menu, click Permissions.

Click Add, and then select the Print Operators group; set the Type of Access to Full Control and then click OK.

Click the Replace Permissions on Existing Subkeys option, and then click OK.

Stop and then restart the Spooler service.

Additional query words: prodnt

Keywords : kbprint ntprint NTSrvWkst ntui
Version : winnt:3.51,4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type :